Many labels/crews promise to release albums from all of their members only leaving us waiting for (or forgetting) an album from “Crewmember A” is supposed to come out. For better or worse, this didn’t happen with No Limit. 23 albums. The label dropped 23 albums (each equipped with it’s own phonetic spelling) in 1998. That’s almost two albums a month! These guys flooded the market in ways Lil’ Wayne could only dream of.

There were commercial successes with Master P’s MP Da Last Don, Silkk’s Charge It 2 Da Game, and Mystikal’s Ghetto Fabulous. These albums, powered by mega-singles such as “It Ain’t My Fault” and the rambunctious “That’s That Nigga.” The crew also put out some straight bangers with the underrated Fiend album There’s One in Every Family and Mia X’s Mama Drama. While Silkk, P, and Mystikal were making grand strides to the mainstream, Fiend and Mia X had the hood’s ear.

Look a little closer and you’ll see some hidden gems from artists whose careers ended too soon. Soulja Slim released a slept on Give It 2 â€˜Em Raw while C-Murder was repping on the terribly prophetic Life Or Death.

If you want to actually go to the record store and cop these albums, there’s no need to try to look them up by title or artist. Just look for the portion of the store with the most light reflecting off, because 21 No Limit albums meant 21 faux-diamond encrusted lettering and shitty photoshopping. The albums are collectors items just for the sheer hood-campiness they provide.

From Master P all the way down to Skull Duggery, No Limit flooded the stores, guaranteeing that everyone out there had to be a fan of somebody on the labelâ€¦right?

Words By Darius Sinclairâ„¢

As Dr. David D. so eloquently touched on the hurricane that was No Limit Records, Master P, we must say, was a marketing genius and a rapacious CEO. He built up his company with awesome instrumentals from Beats By Da Pound (the Organized Noize of New Orleans) and staying consistent with dropping a CD every 2 to 3 weeks. With that said, in contrary to the words of Dr. Dre, quantity is better quality. But regardless of the seemingly indulgence of material from No Limit, Master P himself, seemed to bless us with more solid releases.

Of all of P’s albums, 1998 seemed to be the year he wanted to show off and release the best CD of his career, his so-called “retirement” album. MP Da Last Don was released on June 2nd in stores, and June 3rd, my birthday, in the local corner stores for $5 with the faded CD or cassette booklet (bootleg). The real cover was holographic, with motions of P swinging his precious-stone incrusted cane across the front. He stood below a green tinted Al Capone suite rocking the Penguin’s top hat.

The album was awesome compared to ’98’s standards: A shiny exterior, 2 CDs/tapes, and the catchiest grunts and moans since Hogan left wresting in ’93. But seriously, Da Last Don had something for everyone. From the intro “Da Last Don” to “Let’s Get ‘Em”, P gave gangster inspirations and usually added a little monologue at the end with words of wisdom, which often went overlooked. Songs for lost ones and other emotional material were present as well such as the political “Black And White”, the ‘maternal ode’ “Mama Raised Me.”

Master P and company are known for their party staples and Da Last Don was no exception. “Thinking ‘Bout You”, “Thug Girl”, and “Make ‘Em Say Uhh #2″ all got continuously played that summer. Shockingly, wordplay was not missed from this attempt. Most notably “Hot Boys And Girls” featuring the original cash cows of No Limit. The inanimate object concept remains one of the most creative tracks in the No Limit library. And Snoop came through and blessed “Snitches” with rememberable lyrics:

“I caught a nigga one day jumping out of a cop car/I ain’t saying no names but this nigga’s a rap star/Walking real fast then he dashed in my backyard/O’ buff ass nigga perpetrating to act hard/In the front seat with no cuffs on…”

I always wondered who that was.

Master P didn’t retire like he claimed after this hood classic, however. And like Jay-Z and Jordan, coming out of retirement wasn’t a good look. But unlike Jay-Z, he didn’t bounce back with a great album. Eventually, he wisely passed the crown to Little Romeo, settled down with his self-made $100+ million or so, and danced with The Stars. Even though some despise Percy Miller for his selfishness and gluttony, we all can blame ourselves for purchasing 10 of those 20-plus No Limit CDs and loving MP Da Last Don in 1998.

My favorite was C-Murders album Bossalinie…Great F*ckin Post. I went to school in new york and I got all types a flack for bumping it. I hated when Cash Money stopped my dude P’s tank. No Limit > Cash Money. Silk Da Shocker Never Kissed Percy.

08.06.08 at 11:12 pm

complexone

@ sherm

I still have that VHS tape of I’m Bout It. At the end of the tape it had some No Limit music videos and party footage on there with the strippers n shit.

I actually use that as a school project in college. We had to make a movie preview. Shit was dope

08.06.08 at 11:20 pm

LC Weber

“Time To Check My Crackhouse”

A real No Limit gem that worked its way into my life as of late. Don’t sleep on the awfulness.

You’re welcome in advance.

08.06.08 at 11:37 pm

complexone

That Ice Cream Man CD was dope.

Air Jordan aint no motherfuckin hero G/
My heroes is niggas in the ghetto that slang D/
That ride on vogue and triple gold and pimp hoes/
And take any nigga in the click to the Super Bowl

08.06.08 at 11:45 pm

AmpGeez a.k.a Say "Geez"!

The I’m Bout It soundtrack is what set it off for me. Before then, I was the NY kid on campus that repped strictly for the east coat. I had heard alotta No Limit stuff prior to “I’m Bout It” but it all sounded like a bunch of grunts & drums to me. “How You Do That” w/ Young Bleed was the song that really grabbed my ears & made me go back & listen to their older work.

Mannie Fresh > Beats By The Pound, but at their height….

No Limit’s roster > Cash Money’s roster

And the “I Got The Hook-Up” soundtrack was cool, but “Hook It Up” feat. Bone Thugs was atrocious.

no limit> cash money
P wuzn’t as shady as baby
P actually put his whole hood on
P never kissed any of his artist or got their faces tatted on him
no limit knew their place
no limit wuznt full of fake studio gangstas

08.07.08 at 12:38 am

EF Huttin'

i know it’s a â€˜98 post and all, but Ghetto Dope shits all over MP Da Last Don
==========================================================

Word. “Make em Say Uhh”? “I Miss my Homies”? “Stop Hatin'”?

Nihgga what?

And how could I forget “Soldiers” off of “Life or Death”? I still bang that shit til this day.

08.07.08 at 1:45 am

ViceXXX

I got the hook up, HOLLA IF YOU HEAR ME, UUUGGGH

08.07.08 at 2:07 am

Greums, all around the wor(l)d !

98′ first rapper on forbes…so
where’s his 500 millions Fortune …
someone have some explanations
thx

08.07.08 at 3:18 am

fade

worst tattoo ever tho

ice cream cone with arms and two guns haha

im bout it the movie is prob the best straight to video joint

take this can and crush your motherfuckin brains dont u ever disrespect me

PAPERBOY

my vote goes for kane and able s first album…..god and gunz mac crazy

08.07.08 at 3:52 am

Belve

I was a kid from the South that N E V E R bought and NL or Cash Money albums.. never had to my lil sis used to call me long distance and have ot going in the background.

08.07.08 at 8:47 pm

diggsy

Master P will make a comeback as the best rapper alive before MP Da Last Don will be better than Ghetto D or Mr. Ice Cream Man albums.

08.08.08 at 10:51 am

[B.] Â®oane

Damn, more sickness. I remember my Dad bought all of P and Snoop’s NL shit. As a kid, I loved looking in the CD book to see what else was coming out, I missed out on some of the dopest niggas on the roster because my Dad wasn’t feeling them. Got that shit now…props

08.09.08 at 9:34 am

Curt

Master P changed the rap game. He brought us the the album with more than 11 or 12 tracks. Back in the day albums was like 9 cuts and thats it. P came out with the TRU 2 The Game album that gave us 2 CD for the price of one. Other Double CD’s had you paying double price at the time. This evolved into the 18- 19 track album on one disc. So when yall see them albums with 19-20 tracks thank Master P. Now if only people used all them tracks for good. lol.